Reality TV is fascinating because people are fascinating. No matter how weird the premise of a show, or how greatly the cast differs from people we may know in real life, they're still humans -- they're still us. Their behavior tells us about who we are -- individually and collectively.

Scripted TV is entertaining. It is the work of humans, but it's fictionalized. It tells us about who we want to be, who we're afraid we might be and who we think other people are.

Republicans, stereotypically, want to embrace reality, however harsh it may be -- and then work to make the best of it.

Democrats, stereotypically, want to embrace dreams of what could be, however foolish they may seem -- and then work to make them real.

I think that one reason for that is that many conservatives hate all of the recreational sex and other liberal values that are accepted as normal in network sitcoms, dramas and cartoons and the reality shows that conservatives watch don't have that so you can watch them without getting angry or depressed.

I think that one reason for that is that many conservatives hate all of the recreational sex and other liberal values that are accepted as normal in network sitcoms, dramas and cartoons and the reality shows that conservatives watch don't have that so you can watch them without getting angry or depressed.

I watch 30 Rock all the time, but it really is too New York showbiz to have broad appeal. Everyone in it is so messed up, but in that NYC normal sort of way.

"Family Guy' & "American Dad" are not just "cartoons". While they're sometimes funny, they're always snarky, mean, and sometimes just obscene. I don't think that it's couth to admit in public that one is a fan, unlike say, Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law.

It says something about modern Democrats that these shows are at the top of their list. And not something good, either.

Another very harsh and cynical way to look at it is that liberals tend to be focused on stories or narratives. They prefer abstractions to highly defined situations. They prefer escapism to reality. Conservatives are interested in people, liberals are interested in characters.

The one thing about reality shows that IS real is the ratio of male to female idiots. The shows that Dems like are overwhelmingly feminist in this regard. They love their men dumb and push them right up the ladder to leadership positions.

When it comes to reality shows, I like the working situation ones (like Pawn Stars, Counting Cars, American Chopper, IRT) and find the contest/game ones tedious (Survivor, Amazing Race, American Idol).

And I love Parks & Rec. It's pretty much the only sitcom I care for on TV at them moment.

I love 30 Rock, Curb Appeal, House Hunters, Love it or List It, The Simpsons in its first 20 years, I Should Not Be Alive and Alaskan State Troopers. Also a fan of the NFL, MLB, and NCAA March Madness and a lot of college football. Oh and the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders reality show.

I must an outlier on the conservative spectrum. I like cartoons -- well, some cartoons, oldies like Warner's Looney-Toons from the 1950s and "Rocky and Bullwinkle", and a few latter-day saints like "The Simpsons" (though that show has royally sucked for about the last six seasons), the ever-excellent "South Park", the mind-blowing "Venture Brothers" and occasionally I like "Metalocalypse" (a word I can read but cannot decide how to pronounce). Seth MacFarlane's cartoon empire is to me simultaneously boring and repulsive, which is a singular, if dubious, accomplishment.

I despise all "reality" shows except for "Mythbusters", the only "reality" show about reality, which I watch whenever the opportunity arises.

Mostly agree with Quaestor: I’m fine with cartoons that cater to a more adult audience like Adult Swim, most anime (that isn’t based on a card game) or some of the DCAU cartoons that are written by fans of the original. I just got done finishing Avatar the Last Airbender which my friend’s ten year old persuaded me to try and found myself in disbelief that something that well written was on Nickelodeon.

I gave up on seeing anything worthwhile from Seth McFarlaine last year. It’s all pretty much toilet humor and how gross can we be on a network television show which really doesn’t interest me.

BTW - I don't watch too much TV, except for sports, the news, or "Shark Tank," and only when my roommate has them on. I find it all too mindless, compelling me to relentlessly mock the never-ending series of PSA-type statements - especially those coming from commercials - until I can no longer stand to bear another "green" or "health" indoctrination session and retreat to my room.

I used to watch Law & Order before Jerry Orbach died. My secretaries talked me into watching "Northern Exposure" when it was on 20 years ago. I started to watch and it got cancelled. Now I watch sports, mostly football, and Pawn Stars on History Channel. Otherwise, I read.

Over all, the Democratic list contained a lot of animated comedies — “The Cleveland Show,” “Family Guy,” “American Dad”********************Oh for fuck's sake! I am one of the biggest "Family Guy" fans on the face of the earth, in addition to animation in general. Cleveland and AD fall behind "South Park" and many, many others..."Squidbillies" anyone? I lie awake nights wondering what my favorite Family Guy episode is in case I am asked. Its a tough call. I've got it narrowed down to three episodes.

And I hate what the Democratic party has become - switched to independent years ago.

Good god. Sometimes I yearn for the old days of no digital media, when getting words into print took a lot more effort so you might have thought about the quality of what you were trying to say in the first place.

But it is odd that liberals would like Seth McFarlane cartoons. Although he probably leans a bit left, he also routinely rips liberals, maybe not as much as South Park, but true just the same. He also routinely shows the biggest most pompous ass to be Brian, the leftist dog.

Brian Griffin: How can you not like me? Glen Quagmire: Okay, I'll tell you. You are the worst person I know. You constantly hit on your best friend's wife. The man pays for your food and rescued you from certain death, and this is how you repay him? And to add insult to injury, you defecate all over his yard. And you're such a sponge. You pay for nothing. You always say, "Oh, I'll get you later" but later never comes! And what really bothers me is you pretend you're this deep guy who loves women for their souls when all you do is date bimbos. Yeah, I date women for their bodies but at least I'm honest about it. I don't buy them a copy of Catcher in the Rye and then lecture them with some seventh grade interpretation of how Holden Caulfield is some profound, intellectual. He wasn't! He was a spoiled brat! And that's why you like him so much - he's you! God, you're pretentious! And you delude yourself by thinking you're some great writer, even though you're terrible! You know, I should have known Cheryl Tiegs didn't write me that note. She would have known there's no "a" in the word "definite." And I think what I hate most about you is your textbook liberal agenda, how we should "legalize pot, man," how big business is crushing the underclass, how homelessness is the biggest tragedy in America. Well, what have YOU done to help? I work down at the soup kitchen, Brian. Never seen YOU down there! You wanna help? Grab a ladle! And by the way, driving a Prius doesn't make you Jesus Christ! Oh, wait! You don't believe in Jesus Christ or any religion for that matter, because "religion is for idiots!" Well, who the hell are you to talk down to anyone? You failed college twice, which isn't nearly as bad as your failure as a father! How's that son of yours you never see? But you know what? I could forgive all of that, all of it, if you weren't such a bore! That's the worst of it, Brian. You're just a big, sad, alcoholic bore.

NCAA basketball and football. Parks and Rec and The Office. New Girl is my hypocritical, guilty pleasure. Covert Affairs, Last Resort, and Revolution (also loved Jericho and Firefly back in the day, so I figure Last Resort and/or Revolution will get canceled after one season). I have also enjoyed Castle and Psych in the past but they seem to be past their prime. Not big on cartoons or reality shows unless it is Bugs Bunny or Wipeout. I also enjoy Downton Abbey, Sherlock, and the new Upstairs, Downstairs.

I almost got sucked into that one, but still getting over the disappointment that is the "Lost" finale, and overall "Oprah - New Agey" turn that show took. The reviews warned me off. Too bad as a lot of my TV drama watching bookends the modern era:

"Hell on Wheel" + "Copper"

Then

"Walking Dead"

Skipping over our modern era and strait to TEOTWAWKI.

I'm sorry - 15 years without electricity and NO ONE has revived the steam engine? I love me some post-apocalyptic drama, but NO STEAM ENGINES?

I suppose I don't belong commenting here, as I don't watch much TV at all, but I dislike reality TV, and like The Simpsons, Family Guy, and Mythbusters. I suppose they all have something in common, in that occasionally things get blown up.

I'm a conservative and I love Family Guy, although I rarely tell anyone that. I am both fascinated and repelled by Seth McFarlane. Simpsons jumped the shark a while back, although the Treehouse of Horror episodes are usually fun.

Walking Dead is great. Husband enjoys Amazing Race. I love Mad Men and Game of Thrones.

I actually tell my friend I don't go below channel 38 on our Comcast (meaning I miss all the major networks ABC, NBC, etc.). But above that I bounce around a lot, although I avoid most reality shows and definitely the American Idol type ones.

I watch/have watched Burn Notice (and other USA shows), half the shows on the Disney Channel (but avoid the other half), The First 48, Longmire, Haven, The Glades, The History Channel before it stopped being about History, Mythbusters, World's Dumbest Criminals, Jewelry Television, Bunheads, Turner Classic Movies, not much sports except the Tour de France, South Park, My Cat from Hell, The Closer, House and NCIS in reruns (because marathons are good company when working, see below). My specialty is watching only the first season of shows that later become super-popular, like Mad Men and Breaking Bad. I get the gist of it, and then move on before they turn into soap operas.

The TV tends to be my companion when I'm up late working on computer stuff, especially programming. It's an additional input, not the sole focus of my attention.

Perhaps that's the cause of my deep malaise. I have conservative instincts but liberal entertainment tastes......I think a conservative can watch South Park and The Simpsons without doing too much harm to his views. 30 Rock is funny, but it's as much an infomercial for Democrat values as a Letterman monologue. I watch it, but I feel dirty and used afterwards......Dirty Jobs was pretty good, but that's the only reality show I ever saw that had any basis to reality. The other shows all feature amateurs playing to the camera. Amateurs can sometimes project a layer of phoniness that's truly off putting.

BTW, traditionalguy at 1:42pm noted that Mark Harmon's character on NCIS is a "real man". I agree.

We've watched that show since season one. I thought last season's domestic terrorist story arc was a tad PC until I reflected that they've dealt with Islamists, Russians, Norks, African expats fighting tribal wars on US turf, CIA/FBI/NCIS moles... so I cut them some slack.

Oh, and I watch Dirty Jobs. Someday Mike Rowe is going to come out to Utah and lay out a building or parking garage with me...

This is SO true, and they always turn into soap operas. Why? Is this a common trap the writers fall into? Do the actors insist on 'exploring' their characters? Do most of the people actually like the soap opera thing?

Cartoons? Color me shocked... NOT! That sounds like a liberal. Big dreamer with little idea about how it works in the real world. They as the big 'why' and 'why not' but never the 'how are you going to pay for it'.